Opinions on a chicken feed science project - feeding them raw peanuts

[bkreugar]

My 11 year old daughter is doing a science project with a friend.

They are planning on determining the effects of diet change on egg weight/production.

They plan on choosing 4 hens and counting/weighing their eggs over a 2 week period on normal feed.

Then 2 weeks on just peanuts counting/weighing.

Then 2 weeks on a mixture of the 2 feeds.

The questions are:

How much (peanuts) do we need. 25lbs....50????

Is this SAFE for the hens ??

Thoughts ????

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Can you use eight hens then use four in two groups. I would feed one group peanuts the other feed. do this for two weeks then switch treatments.

 

[bkreugar]

The only way to be sure that any changes are caused by the dietary changes is to use the same birds. (I already asked that one myself LOL)

 

[cafarmgirl]

Any particular reason for wanting to test a peanut only diet? Could they perhaps test different brands of commercial chicken feed to see if there is a difference in production? At least that way the hens will still be getting good nutrition. I can't imagine that feeding the hens nothing but peanuts for two weeks will be very good for them at all. I'm sure you would see a change in production and their health may suffer for it as well.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
You woukd be using the same birds!

Group i would be fed feed for two weeks then peanuts for two weeksm

Group two would be fed peanuts then feed.

This will account for environmental variations plus increase the power of the evaluation.

 

[bkreugar]

First 2 posts were my husband as he has the day off and we spent a a couple of hours this a.m. locating a place that would sell them here close to us.But we did.I personally told DD that I thought they would STOP laying on the peanut only diet as :
1) I don't think it has enough calcium
2)I free ranged my girls and fed table scraps as well as stuff dh was able to bring home , and NO EGGS.Start feeding layer pellet again and 3 days later I have eggs.

SO I think it will be a bust but I COULD be wrong.The guy at Southern states beleives that the shell of the peanuts will give them the calcium they need .IF they eat it.